A wall of a building being erected for Dayton Freight Lines, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana collapsed and killed three masons. Two other construction workers were seriously injured. The wall collapsed toward the end of the day during a thunderstorm. Authorities believe 60 mph gusts of wind may have been partially to blame.
The wall the masons were working on was “green” with new masonry. The bottom part of the wall was already dry. Emergency crews arrived within minutes, but there was nothing that could be done to save the three masons.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor‘s latest statistics, there were 5,840 work related injuries in 2006. 1,239 of these deaths were in the construction industry. This is a rise from the previous year.
Construction work can be dangerous, no matter what the job is. While most workers are trained in basic safety, defective machinery, faulty tools and equipment, hazardous materials, and simple worker error can still take their toll. The three masons killed were standing below a wall that had not completely dried when it collapsed. Although it is unclear how tall the wall was that they were working on or how many masons were working together, and OSHA will be investigating to see if this could have been prevented, the fact remains that these three individuals, as well as the two who were injured will now be part of the Department of Labor’s 2008 statistics when they come out.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a construction accident, please contact an experienced injury lawyer in your area.
